The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-18
TEE rnArurs BoYy GOOD LUCK.
A stsry ef Perfume IN the Oh Fields Re-
called by the Death Or n Horse.

called ~ the Death OF = Horse.
BRADFORD, Pa, Oct. 17.-There died on a
farm near Bear Lake. Crawford county few
days ago, horse that In January. 1865, figured
prominently In one OF the most important
operations in the history OF oil development in
yenango county-an operation by which the
owner Of the horse and his two brothers. with
out dollar Of capital, made q million dollars
apiece The horse was known as the Prather
horse" and was formerly tho property OF the
late George Prather Of Meadvillo. 1t was
nearly 2S years old.
George Prather was one OF three brothers
John, George. and Abraham-who started o
country store in the village Of Plumer. venango
county. In 1864. John Prather was married to
the daughter OF an old farmer named Holmden,
who lived on Pithole Greek, seven miles be-
yond petroleum developments in 1864. In tho
fall Of that year representatives Of new GER
poration, known as tho United States OIL Com
pany, leased o part OF old man Holmden's farm
and began putting down we'll on It. The era
Of bogus oil companies, which subsequently
swindled the public out OF millions Of dollars
in few months time. was then beginning. No
one in the neighborhood OF Holmden's had any
faith in the existence Of oil thereabouts but the
Prather brothers thought that on the strength
Of the United States Company's having begun
actual operations on tho farm, they might utilize
the fact In a little speculation Of their own.
They had no money. but John Prather, tho
staer an o N .o The the
$4,000 was more than ten times the value OF
boys being able to raise the money, and readily
S'E By The @lddls q November the drill on the
United States Lease had reached third sand,
tho sand In which oil had invariably been
Cr9ak found
day offailure and to, give opportunity for the
crsduloas spseustors. ' 6oId weather ' came on
and compelled operations to cease forthe time.
sbns Is fhi fHanea
The PratSer boys had not done anything
with the Holmden farm as late as January.
would see the failure Of the United States Com
psays scheme George PFa.hsr was ssnt East
to ass Of the Arm 81 Dn
can 4 Kent in tho matter, and the two won't on
Toward The middle Of January the weather
snd hsEs tsas hs
drawing tho tools and abandoning the work:
HIS curiosity prevailed upon him to see what r.
fred cp up and started the driii. It had taken
but q few turns. when II dropped eight feet in
the rock and tapped The of vein Th e,, well
spouting oil at a 300-barrel rate.
That was before the days OF oil we'll "mys-
H5sa.n s ln tie hs s Il.
IN s saas john a' and HSrahsms Prathsr we're
trying to sell the farm, and. ignorant Of the oil
strike. might even then have disposed Of It for
and s he ed Elite se
1San On ri City = snd
young horse and ] ohm mounted that horse and
started for Pittsburgh. He did not leave the
nea 5 .s aa the the sna h
Eeaas f fRs as Ss
ssa Saxs lost 2S o for %' 0Hfs
brother George and Duncan on the Girard
aoSss i Ss hsS hs gay te
reached the Holmden farm the day before the
Pithois Creek ES was 81 then overrun with excited
offered fST lana IT. rlss q Rtho!s s!ty Hsd
refused to sign the deed 70 the farm unless the
n pSS t q. sa5Oo b snd q
was %uickls ' raised By Selling very small in.
came near being forfeited in the search f9r the
save the property, The Prather boys and
all left Pithole before the bottom dropped out.
All three Of the boys lost their fortunes after
Vile The horse that had carried his brother
to Pittsburgh on that eventful January day
with tho news OF the oil strike at Pithols was
used by him for several years, and after his
death was sold to the farmer who owned it
until its death last week.
Long before the crash came at Pithole It was
known that the capital OF the United States
Oil Company was fictitious, and that its VEN
ture on the Homden farm was entirely OF the
wildcat order made for the purpose OF selling
its stock. That 1t became suddenly one of the
wealthiest companies ever organized In the oil
regions and was enabled to pay enormous divi-
its projectors themselves. 1t made the for
tune OF every one connected with 1t. and Is
referred to still as the most successful wildcat
venture In the history Of any speculation.